RAD's Fiber Optic Multiplexer Helps Bring Good Government Closer to the Swedish People

The port city of Gothenburg, on Sweden’s southwest coast, is using modern telecommunications to make the municipal government more responsive to the needs of local communities. Not satisfied with “government by the people,” the city of Gothenburg is trying “government nearby the people,” thanks to RAD’s Optimux-XLE1 fiber optic multiplexer.

 

“People felt that politicians were not accessible enough,” says Bertil Nilsson of Gothenburg Energy, the local energy company that has expanded from supplying power to also providing data communications solutions. “To better serve its citizens, the city government decided to open smaller offices in different neighborhoods, rather than concentrate all government offices in a few central locations.”

Gothenburg Energy’s new GothNet communications service enabled the city government to establish 12 neighborhood offices. In each office, an Optimux-XLE1 multiplexer from RAD transports data to an ATM edge switch via an E3 radio link. The switch connects to the SDH/SONET backbone.

“Optimux was the ideal choice,” says Nilsson, “because it features easy LAN connectivity over an E3 line.” It also offers needed flexibility: More E1 or Ethernet ports can be added to the Optimux to support extra services without a significant investment in more equipment. “Actually, Optimux is unique,” adds Johan Sage of Lagercrantz Communication, the local RAD distributor, “because of its ability to multiplex E1 and wire-speed Ethernet over an E3 or fiber optic link. There is no similar product on the market.”

”Optimux provides an excellent solution for city networks that need to connect telephone and LAN service, says Izi Amado, RAD's Optimux Family Product Line Manager. In most cases, carriers already have a communications infrastructure. The Optimux family enables them to extend the SDH/SONET backbone over either wireless or fiber lines. This enables utility companies which already have the backbone, such as Gothenburg Energy, to offer additional services for the low price of an Optimux system, states Amado.